Rahul Gandhi To Become Next PM: Seer At Lingayat Seminary

Rahul visited Karnataka to address the party...

A seer at a Lingayat seminary in Karnataka stated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will become Prime Minister until the head seer intervened and added a caveat to the blessing.

Cong. leader Rahul was in a meeting with the seers at Sri Murugarajendra Mutt in Chitradurga when one of them, Haveri Hosamutt Swami, referred to his grandmother and father. Both of whom remained PM and said, "Indira Gandhiji was PM, Rajiv Gandhi PM, and now Rahul Gandhi has been initiated into Lingayat sect, and he will become the PM."

At this, Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, president of the institution, interrupted and added, "Please don't say this... This is not the platform. People will decide." 

Moreover, earlier, the head seer ceremonially initiated Rahul Gandhi into the sect.  

About 17 per cent of Karnataka's population (Lingayats), have traditionally been BJP voters. With Mr Gandhi's visit to the poll-bound state, the Congress is hoping to broaden its appeal. 

The upcoming Karnataka election is due by May next year, and Congress is struggling to put up a united front in its bid to unseat the BJP.

After being in power from 2013 to 2018, Congress briefly formed a government after the 2018 polls, in partnership with the Janata Dal (Secular). That government -- led by JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy -- collapsed in just over a year after several MLAs from the coalition resigned, reducing it to a minority, after which the BJP came to rule the state again. 

The BJP initially made BS Yediyurappa, from the Lingayat community, the Chief Minister. Last year it replaced him with Basavaraj Bommai, who is also from the same community.

Congress is struggling with a rift within. Legislature party leader Siddaramaiah and state unit chief DK Shivakumar are both contenders for the CM's post if the party comes to power. 

According to the official report by PTI, Rahul Gandhi sought to address this at a meeting of the state unit's political affairs committee on Tuesday night, where he urged the leaders to work together and not speak out publicly.